Trip to the Woods
by robertkellett
Summary: After finding a genuine lead, Riku and Kairi regroup to figure out what to do next but wind up meeting one of Sora's oldest friends. (Spoilers for KH3 Ending)


_**I'm back at it again with another Riku and Kairi adventure, this time they take a detore to town and encounter one of Sora's oldest friends. **_

* * *

Leaning in her seat, Kairi groaned in annoyance. She roughly punched the steering wheel, anger clearly formed on her face. Why was it so _hard _to find Sora? She still feels a connection to him, she knows where he is… Sorta. So what is the hold-up? Why can't she just use her stupid keyblade to make a portal to him! Before she was going to throw said keybalde into the abyss of space, Riku put a hand on her shoulder. "...Thank you, I was going to scream in space. Maybe that might help?"

"Uh, no." Riku answered, sighing at the situation at hand. "We need to refocus on how we're handling our quest here." Kairi nodded, turning her seat around to Riku's and intently focusing on him. The boy rubbed his chin, with Kairi leaning closer. "... Can you back away please?" She blinked, leaning back in her seat and her face slightly flustered. Smirking at the sight, Kairi shot a weak light blast from her keyblade at Riku, making him wince. "You really are like him sometimes… We know that Sora's in a world based on that video game."

"And that my power as a princess of light could bring him back, like how Rapunzel did for Eugine." Kairi continued, with Riku nodding. "So we need to find a way to see Sora, but I need to get a better idea on how to bring him back…." Her stomach rumbled, making Riku snicker aloud. "...Can we stop by the Bistro in Twilight Town first?"

"Sure thing, I'm down for a burger myself." Riku punched in the location and the ship went into auto pilot.

* * *

Sitting outside the lovely Bistro, was a little rat watching his customers enjoying his fine dishes. Though it was a lot harder making them without Sora. Remmy frowned, wondering _where _his partner was. It has been a few months now since they got the restaurant a five-star experience! His small eyes went downcast, wondering if something happened to Sora. He _did _remember the boy talking to himself about a big battle coming up during their cooking sessions. Seeing two teens walking toward the Bistro got his attention though, a warm smile growing on his small face. Waving hello, Riku just raised an eyebrow at the sight; a rat standing in-front of a menu.

"Hello, little guy, me and my friend want to order some food," Kairi asked kindly, with the rat climbing up her arm. Sniffing her hair, his eyes picked up… Sora! Maybe she knows where his buddy is. Tugging at her hair lightly, she giggled, feeling it tickle her. "Cut it out, heard from Donald that this place is the best."

"Yep, Sora actually helped Little Cheif cook." Kairi nearly dropped the rat at the sight, her bright eyes blinking. "Yeah, it's true. Sora sent me one of the dishes they worked on together. That meal that we all ate before resting for the big fight? That was something Sora and Little Chief made." Remembering how _fantastic _the food was, nearly making her taste buds explode with favor, Kairi blushed at the image of _her _Sora making dinner for the two of them. Under the stars, with magic flying in the air… She closed her eyes, cheeks nearly radiating with light. Remmy looked at Riku, hopping in his hand and giving Kairi a strange expression. "Uh, this is a first for me too pal." Letting Kairi indulge in her fantasies for a moment, Riku found a seat and placed their order. He remembered Kairi liking the sweet dishes, so he ordered her a cafe expresso with a huge fruit tart. Riku then placed an order for a burger with fries, with Remmy giving him a slightly annoyed expression; why order basic things when he could make _art _for Riku? Not picking up his thoughts, Remmy waved his hands in slight annoyance and hopped into the kitchen, cracking his little hands.

* * *

After Riku had to sit her down and their food finally arrived, Riku and Kairi were enjoying their dishes, mouths completely exploding in flavor. "Best." Riku put his burger down for a moment. "Burger." He wiped his mouth. "Ever."

"I could die right now and be happy," Kairi commented, with Riku holding in laughter. "...Okay, that was a dumb comment but still, this food is amazing."

"You're telling me," Kairi looked behind her, seeing Xion and Roxas leaving their table and walking toward Kairi's. Xion wiped her face with a spare napkin. "Never thought a rat could make such amazing food."

"You would be surprised," Roxas smirked, fondly remembering Sora and Little Chief actually failing a few of the recipes. He turned to Riku and pulled up a seat near him. "So what are you guys doing here? Outside of enjoying the food that is."

"We're resting and gathering up supplies before heading off to the next world," Kairi answered, patting her lips with her napkin. She put her hands on her lap, having a focused expression. "Riku and I found a real clue on where Sora might be."

Roxas nodded, feeling his connection to Sora getting slightly stronger, which was a huge step up over feeling nothing just a few days ago. While he couldn't tell where Sora was, he heard him talking in odd mumbles. Sorta like how Sora heard him when Roxas was inside Sora's heart. Xion even felt the boy again, though she only felt his pain, nothing else. Seeing the two teens oddly quiet, Riku coughed, getting everyone's attention. "Sora visited two worlds that I think could give us clues. One was a place that doors literally were portals to other worlds. The second was a kingdom having _two _princesses of heart." Riku clasped his hands together, having a focused expression. "Both are important to visit, as they could help us actually find Sora. Your call which one we're hading too first Kairi."

Kairi rubbed her chin, pondering. Before she could make a decision, a familiar wizard showed up, letting out a sigh of relief seeing Riku and Kairi. "Thank goodness I found you two. I need someone to visit the book." He dug it out of his massive trove of secrets. It was just a satchel but Kairi knew from experience that nearly entire _towns _could fit in the thing if he really wanted it too. A book, a children's book possibly, was what Merlin took out. Sora was on the cover, though his image was fading as if the book was aging. "Sora went inside this once his image vanished from the cover. I don't understand why it's happening again…"

"Sora wanted me to visit Pooh at some point," Riku commented, walking toward the book and holding it in his hands. "Pooh is likely lonely… Sora loved visiting him." Kairi recalled Sora telling her about helping a sweet bear and his band of friends, twice, on his past adventures. But with him gone… Kairi opened the book, with Merlin trying to take it back. Riku and Kairi vanished, with the book closing shut. Xion and Roxas blinked, with Merlin only sighing.

"You two, want to have a cup of tea with me? They are going to take a while." Marlin conjured up honey tea, with Xion and Roxas only shrugging their shoulders and sitting where Riku and Kairi sat before.

* * *

Riku and Kairi rubbed their eyes, a bright warmth clouding all there senses. Opening her eyes, Kairi saw some trees, each growing bright red apples, with a little home underneath it. She elbowed Riku, getting him to wake up and the two walked closer to it. They found a log, with a yellow bear in a red shirt, pondering in deep thought… Various pots of honey empty around him. Kairi kelt down, meeting the bear at face level. "Hello, what's your name?"

The bear looked up, having a warm smile on its face. "Oh bother… It seems I ate a bit too much honey." He patted his cheeks. "I'm Pooh and you are a stranger," Riku smirked, standing next to Kairi. "You look like my friend Sora, though his hair is spikier."

"I never got that myself Pooh, and I've been best friends with the guy for years." He knelt down, having a gentle smile. "Me and Kairi here heard a lot about you and your friends. Nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too… Oh bother, I don't know your names." Kairi giggled and petted Pooh's head. She swore he felt like a stuffed animal with how soft he felt, but she put the thought away for the moment.

"My name is Kairi and this is my friend Riku. We are actually looking for Sora, dragging the silly head home." Her face grew a bit somber, but she kept her smile for Pooh's sake. "Did he visit you and your friends again recently?"

Pooh grew a genuine expression of sadness, his black beady eyes somber. "No. I miss him dearly." Pooh got up and tried collecting his empty pots of honey, so Rabbit could fill them up again later. Rabbit's been awfully nice lately, normally hating giving away honey. Pooh would have not bothered to think about it much, but he has this hollow feeling deep down, so eating honey helps. Sensing his distress, noticing the bear nearly dropping two pots, Riku and Kairi gather a few for Pooh. "Oh, thank you." Riku opened the door to Pooh's home, a little bed and shelves that look like a child put them together. Riku and Kairi had to bend down to fit through the door. Though Pooh has some issue getting back inside himself, some fluff coming through stitching clearly indicating he ate a bit too _much _honey as of late. Kairi noticed and took out a sewing kit from one of her many pockets in her hoodie-dress. Riku blinked at the sight, with Kairi giving him a questioning look.

"What? I need to be ready in case my gear gets damaged." She also thought about making armor and headbands, but she kept that to herself. Finishing the repairs, Pooh smiled in thanks. Once the honeypots were back in their shelves nice and neat, the three went back outside, looking up at the now dark blue skies. Pooh started walking, his expression unreadable, with Kairi and Riku following.

They instantly found themselves over a cliff, a long log standing tall. Pooh hopped on it and just looked up at the sky, seeing stars shine down. "Whenever I miss Sora or any of my friends, I come here." Kairi and Riku sat down next to him, the former having a hard time not putting the cute little bear in her lap. "Owl told me that Sora's name means sky. I don't understand much but I'm just a silly old bear." Kairi gave into her base instincts and put Pooh in her lap. "Oh, thank you, I can see the stars better now."

Riku just rolled his eyes and watched the stars. It was like an artist was drawing them into the sky itself, black lines coating each one of them. He smiled, remembering himself, Kairi and Sora watching them on their favorite tree back when they were kids. Kairi seemingly picked up on Riku's longing, taking his hand and her eyes firmly on the sky.

"Sora is gone, isn't he?" Pooh asked, his voice knowing and somber. Kairi pet his head, as if answering the sad bear. "He's in my heart, so I will never lose him again. I did forget about him once, but I was just a silly bear. I never forget my friends."

"We are going to find him." Kairi said firmly, her eyes locked with Riku's. Pooh shook his head, getting her attention. He stood up on his feet, putting one of his hands on her heart.

"But he's right here." Kairi felt the sky rain. He hugged her, with Kairi hugging Pooh back. Riku just put a hand on her shoulder, watching Sora's namesake watch over them.

* * *

"...And that's how I trained a young man into being King Arthur." Merlin finished his tea, with Roxas ingrossed in the story while Xion felt like jabbing her keyblade through her skull. How was her boyfriend so excited about a story about a young kid cleaning all the time? Turning into animals sounded fun but everything else sounded so boring… But light from Pooh's book lit up the table, with Merlin backing away. Roxas and Xion did so as well, with Riku and Kairi standing beside them once more. "Ah, so the book reacted to you two."

"Y-Yeah…" Kairi wiped her eyes, still fresh from tears earlier. Riku patted her shoulder but was surprised when looking at the book. Instead of Pooh sitting alone, it was him sitting on Kairi's lap while Riku leaned on a tree watching the sky shine brightly. He smiled at the image, feeling things are right again for Pooh. "Wish we meet his friends, but we can always come back."

"Yeah, that Tigger fellow he mentioned sounded fun." Riku commented, folding his arms. Merlin smiled at the two, with Kairi's eyes growing wide. "What's wrong?"

"You did that on purpose…" She narrowed her eyes, with Marlin laughing heartedly. "How did helping Pooh out accomplish in our…" He pointed to her heart, just like Pooh did. She was silent, her face realizing what they both meant. "...This is to grow my powers as a princess of heart, isn't it?"

"Precisely, now you should continue your quest. Or you would rather me assign you a test on…" Riku felt his arm nearly dislocate itself as Kairi dragged him into the Gummi Ship. Marlin only laughed heartedly again, with Roxas simply wondering how _bad _was the training her and Axel went through was.


End file.
